Obituary of Richard Dassance

Richard (Dick) C. Dassance, II It is with broken hearts we announce the passing of Richard C. Dassance, II. He passed on September 12, 2018 in his home, surrounded by his family after losing his battle with cancer. He was born May 25, 1958 to Richard and Alice (Parfitt) Dassance, who predecease him. He is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Carol (Murry) Dassance, his son and best friend, Richard C. Dassance, III, daughter-in-law Danielle (West) Dassance, and his adored and beloved granddaughters, Evelyn and Clara-Rey. Also surviving are his four older sisters: Carol (Chuck) Lorenson of Gillet, PA; Barbara (Paul) Greenstone of Brunswick, ME; Linda Haag of Odessa, NY; Dianne (Boyd) McGarry of Newfield, NY; several nephews, nieces, cousins, and many caring and cherished friends. A lifelong resident of Catlin, Dick retired from the Catlin Highway Department in 2013 after 32 years of dedicated service. He was a hard-working, self-made man. He grew up assisting his father with the preparation and painting of sailplanes and vehicles in his father's shop on Brown Road. It was there that he learned the fundamentals of mechanics that served him well throughout his life. As a young man, he frequently worked on the neighbor's farm just up the road from his home. He learned firsthand how much hard work it took to maintain a farm. He used these skills while he owned and operated the "Murry" beef farm for many years of his life. Dick used his acquired skills to build a life for himself and his family. He built his own pole barn and shop with the help of his son and a few good friends. He was extremely self-sufficient. He owned and maintained all of his own equipment and vehicles. He owned and maintained his farm property, and he cut, hauled, split, and hauled again, enough firewood to heat two houses and his shop. If something was broken, Dick could fix it. If you were a friend or family member of Dick's, chances are that he fixed or repaired something for you, or helped you in some way. It's what he did. For recreation, he enjoyed hunting with his son and long-time friends, especially Charlie. He loved to be in the woods. He was an avid bowler, achieving five 300 games. He enjoyed playing poker, working in his garage, and anything FORD or Ford-related. He loved sitting on his front porch, drinking coffee and looking out at the beautiful view of his farm and the world in front of him. Most importantly, though, he loved his family and his friends. He did anything and everything he could do for them to make their lives easier. It's who he was. Per his request, there will be no funeral services. Please remember Dick by appreciating the small joys in life we tend to take for granted. A celebration of his life will be held at the Big Flats American Legion Saturday October 13th 2018 at 11:00am, where we will share coffee, donuts, and stories about Dickie Dassance. Thank you to everyone in the last few months for their support and prayers, bringing supplies and food to the house, running errands, cutting the firewood for winter, helping with the children, and just being there. For a man that never asked for help, who could always do everything for himself, he was so appreciative of the help and generosity he received the last few months of his life. This truly allowed him peace. Arrangements are entrusted to the LYNCH FUNERAL HOME 318 WEST BROAD STREET HORSEHEADS, NY. Words of Condolence and memories may be shared at www.lynchsfuneralhome.com